Stanislav_J writes "All you wealthy Slashdotters (if that's not a contradiction in terms) better start making alternate arrangements for stashing your millions. The country's storied role as discreet banker to the world's tax-avoiding wealthy is under threat like never before, and this time it may not ultimately be able to stop the rest of the world from prying into those legendary "secret" accounts (said to contain between $1 trillion and $2 trillion). A massive German tax-evasion scandal is putting pressure on the Swiss to cooperate, and the rest of Europe is also hardening their resolve to force change upon them. Per the article, "The official Swiss reaction has been self-conscious detachment, which they hope will deflate the issue," but even their own citizens are not too concerned about those outside their borders: "80 percent of Swiss support the banking confidentiality law — but that number drops into the 40s when it is applied to foreigners, suggesting the Swiss care much less about the privacy of non-Swiss citizens." Pressure is also coming from U.S. pols — not the "let's pry into everyone's business" Republicans, but the "make the rich pay their fair share" Democrats, including Michigan Senator Carl Levin and Illinois Senator (and presidential candidate) Barack Obama."
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